A Kiss is a Question

"Tumescent what? Pheruh-what?"

"We prefer to maintain a high state of sexual arousal in our ship," explained Flennie. "As such, our scientists have designed a custom pheromone/hormone mixture for our internal atmosphere to which all human forms respond with varying degrees. The fact that this is your second copulation in the past hour and that you are visibly approaching erection once more indicates your body is well attuned to the mixture. Now, it is meal time - come to the galley where you can meet the majority of the crew.

They re-entered the hallway. Angelo was wishing for some sort of cloth to cover the object of Flennie's inspection, but they were soon greeted by several naked crew members of both sexes, the male members of which displayed prominent evidence of the 'high state of sexual arousal' desired.

One couple appeared to be mechanics of some sort -- complete with tool belts, but nothing else. The woman, a green-tinted beauty of Alluvian stock, was patiently repairing a power conduit as a man of slightly greater height than Angelo took her from behind - though still handing her tools as she needed them.

This was nothing compared to the scene which greeted them when they entered the galley. The closest thing Angelo could think of was the banquets and orgies described to have happened in the days of ancient Rome. There were platters of food spread about, and on every table and bench were naked bodies - a great many of them joined together in some form of sexual union. The coupling stopped, however, upon their entrance.

"Attention please, attention," said a male Adonis of impressive proportions (in all aspects). Please join me in welcoming Commander Angelo Telegin, our newest fleet liaison.

"Greetings Commander Telegin," said the masses as one.

Had Angelo been in a state of mind to observe smaller details, he would have noticed a majority of the females turning to their info tablets. Instead, he simply tried to stay focused and cross to the man who had made the announcement.

"Am I to assume you are the captain?" he asked.

"No," said the muscular crewman. "We don't have captains as you would think of them. I am, however, part of the navigation team and seem to have certain natural predispositions toward being a better host. Marcus, at your service."

"Marcus, nice to meet you," said Angelo, shaking his hand.

"I too, am fascinated to meet another representative of your race," said Marcus warmly. "Tell me, did you know Captain Neirna... I mean, beyond the sexual congress we believe you shared with her upon your arrival?"

"I uh... wow, you are one frank race. I knew Neirna at the Fleet Academy and served under her in two battle exercises - but I wouldn't say I knew her all that well."

"She was a good liaison," said Marcus. "Competent, intelligent, and a most able and enthusiastic sexual partner."

"Yes, about the sex," said Angelo, stammering. "It's very... very..."

"Perplexing?" offered Marcus. "That was a word Neirna often used."

"Yes, that's a good word."

"Come with me, Commander Angelo Telegin," said Marcus. "I believe I can shed some light on our race."

They walked past steady line of sex in the galley and were about to leave when a svelte young blond disentangled herself from her partners and scurried to Angelo's side.

"Hello Commander Angelo. I am Lietseleh. I saw the report," she said with an almost smile.

"The report?" asked Angelo.

"Yes," she said, tapping an info screen by the door. "Flennie's report. And the vid she recorded?"

"She recorded a vid?"

"Of course," she said, "How else could we help each other improve? I am considered a particularly apt tutor in oral stimulation. I would like to teach you. It could be a most pleasurable experience. How about now?"

Marcus intervened.

"Lietseleh, we have three months with the Commander, give me some time to show him around the ship before we initiate him any further."

"Very well, but don't forget me, Commander."

They departed the galley and started down a more secluded corridor where there were far fewer Aquilans and they seemed to be busy at chores too serious to multitask between sex and work.

"Where are we going?" asked Angelo.

"To the heart of the ship. We simply call it the Center," explained Marcus. "I am hoping to shed some light on our unusual ways."

They paused at a large armored door and Marcus turned to Angelo with a quite serious expression.

"Commander, you are about to see a sight few Galactic humans have been privileged to witness. In the Center are our relatives, over five hundred true Aquilans, contained in a tank of nebula-like atmosphere. Here are some goggles to shield our eyes from the most intense output from their coupling."

They donned darkened goggles and Marcus pressed a button which opened the great hatch.

Before Angelo was a sight he knew he would never forget. In a huge tank of transparent plasteel floated countless creatures, pulsating with bursts and trails of light. Jellyfish crossed with mitochondria might have been an adequate description, but they were infinitely more complex and beautiful.

"There we are," said Marcus in a hushed tone. "Aquilans in their true form. Do you see the tube-like creature there?"

"Yes," whispered Angelo.

"That is a female, actually one of my cousins - or as close as one can get in relative human terms. You will notice, all females are cylindrical, but with hollow centers. The shape of a tube is the easiest way to identify Aquilan females. They are also slightly larger. Do you see that cylindrical form approaching her? The one with tapered ends?"

"Yes."

"That is a male, he is about to pass through her. This is an oversimplification because our race is composed of far more than electrical current - but I will try to state it in coherent terms. Think of the females possessing negative polarity and the males possessing positive. It is the interaction between the two which brings the energy of life - the currents and interactions which make us capable of sentience, thought, and creativity."

"Strand a male or female Aquilan alone for more than a few hours without a sexual union and they must quickly enter a dormant state. If they attempt to exist for very long without coupling - they will quickly devolve back to the simple nebula gasses from whence they came."

"So, Aquilans can't think if you haven't had sex?" asked Angelo.

"It even goes beyond that," explained Marcus. "We can certainly persist for long periods without copulating - but it is akin to a computer which isn't in use. A dormant Aquilan is not unlike a computer which has been put in hibernate mode. The memory is intact, but without the chemical/electric power of sexual stimulation we aren't truly functioning beyond base operations and the minimum awareness of our surroundings in order to navigate safely. Ah, that pair is about to couple."

The long tapered creature soon entered the cylindrical tube, and even with their goggles Angelo had to squint from the brightness of the sparks they formed.

"So, is it really sex?" asked Angelo. "Or is it simply a static electricity generator."

"Oh Commander, do not underestimate the pleasure of Aquilan sex. In any life form, sexual pleasure is a natural evolutionary development. Those that find sex more pleasurable thrive. Those that do not, fall by the wayside."

"Aquilan skin is made of a complex membrane," said Marcus. "There are one hundred times more nerves per every square centimeter of their skin than in the most sensitive erogenous zones of human lips or sexual organs. In each union, we exchange and generate both chemical and electrical energy in the process. In fact, our relatives here in the Center are the only power supply our ship needs. There is nothing more intense, powerful, or pleasurable than an Aquilan union."

"What you must understand is, we all began as true Aquilans. My consciousness resided for over six-hundred Earth years in a male Aquilan shell before I volunteered to make the transference to this body. Aquilans take one hundred years to mature, so that means I had five hundred years of existence where sex was essential to survive."

"So that's why you..."

"Why we fuck like rabbits, as more than one liaison has put it. Yes, though we have left our Aquilan bodies our memories and our instincts remain. It is a difficult phenomena to explain, but even in our new 'shells' we are still driven by the fierce survival instinct which tells us we must copulate as often as possible."

Angelo looked about the huge tank and even through the dense gaseous atmosphere could see several unions occurring. He continued watching quietly, finding himself actually a bit aroused at the gaseous orgy taking place before him.

"What are those?" he asked, pointing to smaller creatures flitting about more rapidly.

"Why, children of course," explained Marcus. "You will notice they are not coupling, they've no need. It is not until we reach full maturity that this intense desire and need for sexual congress develops. In some ways, we are very similar to your kind."

"Why aren't there more?" asked Angelo. "I mean, with all of this sex, why isn't the tank swimming with children?"

"Because, like your race, children do not result from every sexual union."

"Then where do the children come from?"

Marcus was suddenly more quiet. His face seemed almost angry.

"Marcus, the children? How do they come about?"

"That is private," said Marcus coldly. "It is a matter for us alone, and is none of your affair."

"Oh, alright... it just seems like, people and creatures willing to have sex all over the place would..."

"It is quite a different matter," said Marcus. "And I will thank you not to bring up the subject again."

They returned to the main part of the ship in silence - Angelo still perplexed at the odd ways he kept offending these beings who seemed defined by sex and wore no clothes. No kissing after sex. No asking where children came from. Who knew what other boundaries he would overstep unwittingly?

Marcus seemed to recover from his anger, however, and showed Angelo around the rest of the ship in a relatively amiable fashion (amiable for an Aquilan, at least).

"There is the quiet sex lounge, and the rambunctious sex room, the group sex lounge for celebrations and the... what is so funny?"

"It's just, we've passed at least six couples 'coupling' in the corridors," chuckled Angelo. "It seems odd that you need rooms set aside for it."

"I suppose," said Marcus, allowing a half smile. "But for ones such as ourselves, it is necessary."

Angelo was propositioned several times along the way, and though he was sporting a massive erection, he resisted - even though Marcus would have had no problems with any side trips the new liaison wished to take.

They rounded the corner to a more casual area where there were a few couples paired off, but it was the exotic Leneria who caught his eye - it was the first time he'd seen her since the greeting party.

"Leneria!" he called out, "It's good to see you again."

"Ah, Commander Angelo Telegin, I see you are faring well. I trust Marcus has been giving you a good tour of the ship."

"He has indeed. We saw the Aquilans, they were beautiful."

"Yes, our relatives are quite remarkable," agreed Leneria.

Angelo couldn't take his eyes off of her. While he was surrounded by beautiful naked bodies, it was her face that his eyes were drawn to the most. Her Earth-Asian facial features, her light brown skin, her blond hair, and the haunting look in her deep blue eyes - they were truly captivating. Of course, his gaze inevitably drifted south, and he was just as enamored with her trim but ripe body which seemed to call out to him.

He considered the frank nature of the Aquilans and decided to dive in head first.

"Listen, Leneria, I was wondering if we could get together, you know, sexually."

Her face grew cloudy and she looked down.

"I don't think so. Not at this time," she replied.

"I'm sorry if I've offended you," he said. "I meant no disrespect by propositioning you so directly."

"It is no disrespect to make such a request of an Aquilan," said Marcus. "However, I find it odd that one of our women would refuse a liaison. Leneria, can you explain yourself?"

"I'm simply not in the mood," said Leneria. "That answer should suffice. It is a phrase I learned from Neirna - so I would think you would respect that, Marcus."

"Of course," said Marcus in a patient tone, "it is perfectly satisfactory."

"I am in the mood," said a lilting voice belonging to the willowy Lietseleh, "would you care to begin your learning, Commander Angelo Telegin. I am prepared to educate your tongue."

"I would be delighted," said Angelo, sparing a backward glance toward Leneria as he was led off to more comfortable quarters.

"I am still curious about your refusal," said Marcus to Leneria. "Now that the liaison is gone, would you mind elaborating?"

Leneria gathered her thoughts.

"It is their emotions," she said quietly. "They continue to show rude tendencies of attachment and improper emotions."

"I understand," said Marcus. "Many people have commented about Neirna's primary preference toward me as a sexual partner in her last few weeks. Her emotional outbursts in the final days are still puzzling to me."

"Exactly," said Leneria. "I am very busy in studying to be the ship physician. I want sex and I want my job, I have no time to indulge an emotional alien right now."

"Understood," said Marcus, "though I might remind you, the purpose of the liaisons is to teach us how to be less alien. We are, after all, no longer Aquilan, but Aquilis Humanis. Such human emotions might someday be visited upon us."

Leneria turned away from Marcus, not wanting him to see her expression.

"I would hope it would never come to such a thing," she muttered quietly.

She gave silent thanks that Marcus had not asked - why then, if she had objections to the liaisons, had she volunteered to be a member of the greeting party.

***

33, that was the number of women he had slept with in his first two weeks on board.

He had thought about counting the actual number of ejaculations, but had given up. The pheromone-charged air was analogous to an IV drip of old-school Viagra, and many of his fuck-sessions had involved several eruptions - his cock recovering more quickly by the day.

As a result, he was keeping track of one other number - how many ejaculations in one session. The number - eight during his second partnering with Lietseleh: Once in her mouth; twice in her pussy (within the space of five minutes); again in her mouth while they were engaged in a fierce sixty-nine; once deep into her ass; once while she washed him slowly and sensuously; again into her pussy while he took her from behind, and one final time which started with her licking the cum off of his cock and then sucking him to hardness for one final bout.

If there was one thing he was missing - it was a sleeping partner. He'd had 32 sex partners (several of them more than once), but the Aquilans showed no inclination toward sticking around after sex. Without fail, sex would finish and the woman would stand up and leave - ready to pick up with her shipboard duties without missing a beat. He had asked a couple of women to stay the night - but they had simply taken it as an invitation for further coupling.

Angelo thought about it and realized that this could probably be attributed directly to the plasma-based origins. For that form, sleep was a dormant time. The Aquilans around him always slept alone in darkened, private sleep quarters.

Now he was with number 33 - Menaea. She had crimson skin and a startlingly voluptuous body that seemed built for pleasure. In fact, she was built for pleasure. The majority of her genetic code had been pulled from sequences designed during the gene wars of the late 22nd century. Her 'ancestors' had been designed to be the ultimate courtesans and her specific model had been patterned after a character named Dejah Thoris from an ancient science fiction series. She was three quarters 'Dejah' and one quarter Geisha - both portions designed by genetic engineers given free rein to craft the ultimate fantasy woman built for sex and pleasure.

There were many such evocative combinations aboard the ship. It was clear the Aquilans had done quite a bit of experimenting with the genetic materials they had absconded with those many years before.

He certainly had no complaints regarding their tinkering. It was a true rainbow aboard ship, and each Aquilan - man or woman - was a startling yet unique study in physical beauty.

He was currently enraptured watching Menaea's head bob up and down his lighter shaft and the wonderful contrast between her skin and his own. It added to the erotic element.

"Commander Telegin."

She was so talented. Menaea's hands corkscrewed around his cock, her tongue licked tortuously at the top of every stroke.

"Commander Telegin?"

Angelo could feel the beginnings of an orgasm. He debated... prolong things, or simply surrender. The (literally) sex-charged atmosphere of the ship had certainly changed his attitude regarding when to climax. He voted for waiting, but then Menaea pulled her mouth off and slid his cock between her red breasts. Just the visual of his pale cock nestled between her red orbs was all it took to change his mind. A mere four or five strokes was all it took for him to let loose and send the first ivory blast across her crimson mounds.

"Oh gods," he moaned.

"Commander Telegin!"

"What?" he cried, and looked up from his bliss to see Leneria waiting to the side.

"Oh goddds... hello Leneria."

"By all means finish," she said calmly.

Angelo finished and Menaea stood up, wiping the creamy liquid into her skin.

"We can finish another time, Commander," she said, and without another word she departed.

"Commander," said Leneria, "it has been two weeks since you came aboard and it is customary for the liaisons to undergo a physical examination."

"Oh, I've been examined," said Angelo.

Leneria turned to him in surprise.

"But I'm the primary medical expert on the ship, who else would have done an examination?"

"Inspected, probed a couple of times, I'd say a great many women are intimately familiar with great portions of my body."

"I see," said Leneria, "it's a double entendre."

She turned back and continued leading Angelo to the medical suite.

"If you weren't aware, double entendre has little relevance in our culture. I suppose it was an attempt at humor, but it fell on deaf ears."

"Point taken," said Angelo.

They arrived at the medical suite and Angelo was impressed to see they had the most modern of modern medical technology.

Once inside, Leneria was all business.

"Lie down please," she said, gesturing him to an examining couch.

"You bet, doctor," he said with a smile.

"I am not a doctor yet," she said. "I am preparing to sit the examination for my medical certificate in approximately six months' time."

"Okay."

"Now, let me check these readings."

She examined the holographic projection of countless statistics that the med scanner had gathered from Angelo as soon as he sat down. She tapped out a few notes.

"Well?" he asked.

"All systems seem to be optimal. If I would have any concerns it would be your hormone levels. It seems you are responding particularly well to our air mixture. All varieties of leutinizing and follicle stimulating hormone are in the top end of acceptable levels. I'm guessing you are having no problems maintaining erections, nor in producing seminal fluid?"

"True to both of those statements," agreed Angelo.